Sandal



Aug. Z6, 1941. R. F. MAYER SANDAL Filed sepi. 3o, 1940 Patented Aug. 26, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT vOFFICE SANDAL Rudolf F. Mayer, Lynn, Mass.

Application September 30, 1940, Serial No. l358,957 2 Claims. (o1. ees-115) This invention relates to a sandal and deals more especially with a sandal developed or formed up from a precut, single blank of suitable stock. Its objective, generally stated, is to provide a sandal of simple and economical structure, of attractive appearance, and of comfortable and enduring quality, especially as regards such straps as serve to hold or fasten it to the foot at its rear r ankle portions.

The sandal or sandal-forming blank of the present invention is characterized by its inclu.- sion more particularly of a pair of opposite, sub.- stantially similar ankle-and-heel straps, each such strap comprising an ankle portion adapted to be upstanding from the sole member, an intermediate heel portion yadapted to span the back of the heel and to afford an adjustable cradle or support for the back of the heel, and a tail portion adapted to be passed through a loop or its equivalent in the ankle portion of the other ankle-and-heel strap, the heel portions of the pair of straps overlapping each other where they span the back of the heel. Such a sandal may be formed up in its entirety from an essentially one-piece blank so as to dispense with the need of a last in its manufacture and also practically completely with the need of stitching therein and thereby to reduce the cost of its manufacture to a minimum while at the same time aifording a, comfortable, attractive, and enduring article.

With the foregoing and other features and objects in View, the present invention Will now be described in further detail with particular reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a one-piece sandalforming blank embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 depicts in perspective such sandal as is developed or formed up from the blank of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 represents a transverse section through the sandal of Fig. 2 on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the reenforcement of the sandal sole member With an additional sole.

Fig. 5 represents a rear end view or elevation of the sandal of Fig. 2.

Fig.v 6 illustrates a cutting pattern for the straps at the toe portion when such straps are to be equipped with lacing loops.

Fig. 'l shows in perspective the nished straps equipped With lacing loops.

The sandal hereof may be formed in its entirety from such upper stock as is known in the trade a-s side leather or from any suitable fabric; or it may be formed from sole leather, in which case the sole portion or member of the sandal may be. left substantially at its original thickness, whereas the strap portions may be split orskived to the desired thinness and flexibility. As best appears in Figs. 1 and 2, the sandal or sandalforming blank may include a sole member I0 from which project sets or pairs of straps and more especially a toeor front pair II, a shank pair I2, and a ankle-and-heel pair I3. A Each strap of the last-named pair may be considered as having an ankle portion |3a adapted to be upstanding from the sole member II), an intermediate heel portion I 3b adapted to span the back of the heel and to afford an adjustable cradle or support for the back of the heel, and a vtail portion I3c adapted to pass frontwardly from the back of the heel over the opposite ankle portion of the other ankle-and-heel strap. The ankle portion of each strap is shown as having a pair of spaced slits denitive of a loop I 4, through which the tail portion I3c of the opposite strap may be passed as the heel portions of the pair of straps I3 are caused to overlap each otherV in spanning the back of the heel, as appears best in Figs. 2 and 5. Not only is it possible to adjust the pair of ankle-and-heel straps to the desired tautness and thus to realize appropriate support; for the ankle of the foot, but, because of the overlapping strap portions :at the back of the heel, whereat the stresses of use vor wear are apt to be severe, there is little danger of tearing or rupturing the straps.

The straps II are shown in Fig, 3 as being of distinctly less thickness than that of the Isole member l0. Thus, such straps may be of a thickness about one-half or even less than that of the sole member, especially when the sole member consists of sole leather and is hence of considerably greater thickness and stiffness than the stock desired for the straps. In so-me instances, however, the sole member and the straps projecting therefrom may consist of suitable upper stock and thus be of the same thickness, as illustrated in Fig. 4, in Which case it may be desirable to affix, as by stitching I5, a supplemental sole member I6 and also a heel (not shown).

The tip or free end portions of all the straps II, I2, and I3 may be provided with spaced slits defining loops through which the usual cord or lacing may be strung for the purposse of holding or tying down the sandal in its desired foot-encompassing relationship on the foot. The loops through which the cord or lacing is to be strung may, if desired, be formed otherwise than by cutting slits through the tip end portions of the straps. Thus, as shown in Fig. 6, each strap II may be cut with a tip end portion I la of reduced width, which may be folded back on itself and stitched at its marginal portion, as at IIb, to the main body of the strap so as to constitute a suitable lacing loop, as shown in Fig. 7.

As already indicated, the sandal hereof may be formed in its entirety from a single, suitably precut blank` In some instances, however, as when the ankle-and-heel straps consume as a single piece excessive stock, each such strap may be formed of two pieces, including an ankle portion integral with the sole member and a heelv and tail piece stitched to such ankle portion as on a line represented by the dotted line :c-fc of Fig. l. By reason of the integrality of the straps with the sole member at least at their regions of juncture therewith, not only is the cost of stitching avoided but the sandal hereof has a trim or neat appearance and there is little danger of breakage or rupture of the straps.

The article of the present invention is subject to various other modications or changes while falling within thevscope of coverage hereof as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A sandal comprising a sole member equipped with straps, including a pair of opposite, substantially similar ankle-and-heel straps each of vwhich has an ankle portion adapted to be upstanding from said sole member, an intermediate heel portion adapted to span the back of the heel and to afford an adjustable cradle or support for the back of the heel, and a tail portion adapted to be passed forwardly from the back of the heel over the opposite ankle portion of the other ankle-and-heel strap, the ankle portion of each said strap containing a loop through which the tail portion of the opposite strap may be passed and the heel portions or" said pair of straps overlapping each other where they span the back ofthe heel.

2. A sandal comprising a sole member equipped with straps, including a pair of opposite, substantially similar ankle-and-heel straps each of which has an ankle portion adapted to be upstanding from said sole member, an intermediate heel portion adapted to span the back of the heel and to afford an adjustable cradle or support for the back of the heel, and a tail portion adapted to be passed forwardly from the backiof the heel over the opposite ankle portion of the other ankle-and-heel strap, at least the ankle portions of both said straps and said sole member constituting a one-piece blank and the ankle portion of each said strap containing a loop 'through which the tail portion of the opposite strap may be ypassed and the heel portions of said pair ofA straps overlapping each other where they span the back of the heel.

RUDOLF F. MAYER. 

